The Penn's Grove record., 1887-09-10


"a sisters afsctionI My dearest
Clementina, that will not satisfy me.
1 want the very first place In your
heart. / want
The listeners behind the seringa
gasped. How would this dreadful af-
fair endP Here was Fitz, the beloved
Of both, proposing, actually proposing
to an eidolon; a shadow, an unknown
somebody wearing the shape of n of
them, speaking in her tone, aping her
manner to a nicely.
Dear ~Clementina," Fitz went on,
eagerly, 81 love you most sincerely, L
admire you above all other women"
"Are you quite-quite sure of that?"
whispered the unknown. us there no
one whom you have a secret liking
forp"
Fitz hesitated for a moment. His
conscience was not evidently quite
clear. The lady, however, seemed in
no way vexed, but laughed softly as
she tapped him IN the arm with her
fan.
''Therel l won't put too many ques-
tons. If you tell me that, tonight,
at least, l reign supreme L ask moth
ing more"
Fitz took her hand and pressed 1t
ferveutly to his lips.
dearest Clementina," he whis-
pered, tenderly. ''and now | beg you
will let me see the face | have been
longing to look at all the evening"
Here the widows peeped eagerly
through the screen of leaves, longing
and yet fearing The calculation of the
mystery.
Zone minute," said the unknown,
putting her hand to the mask; l won.
der if you will unsay your words if"
''Unsay my wordsl neveri' assever-
ated Fltz, passionately.
mot even If you have proposed to-
to the wrong womanY" said a clear,
hooking voice-a voice that made the
two eavesdroppers thrill with mingled
terror and g The mask OF the un.
known fell to the ground as she stood
up and faced her Etounded admirer.
'Maryro ma
Eyes. Mr.t. ckndon-Mary." she
echoed. dropping nm a mock modest
courtesy.
Now, how did you get here?" be
stammered.
"Ah, quite simply; 1 drove down in
a hansom," laughed Mary, gayly.
"Come, the play is out, SO | will ex-
plain the plot, as it seems to puzzle
you. l wanted to see il Mary Grey,
given all the advantages ladies in So
ciety' enjoy, could not hold her W
with the best. So / made an exact
COPY of Mrs. Somers' dress-dld you
not see there was a second queen here
to-nightg" i
"Yes; but she wore no rose in her
dress, and she seemed SO dun and In
sipid after you that | concluded"
$50 you made the rose"
'"The badge Of grace and witt" in
terrupted Fltz CALAMITY. "But Mary,
tell me your real motive for playing
this comedy OF errors"
Il fear it vas revenge upon both Of
you," said Mary rather seriously, and
yet laughing. "Mr. Brandon, you
have behaved very badly to me. You
have courted me, won my affections,
and all the while you have toyed and
triled with the two widows as if no
such being as myself existed. How
can / believe III your sincerity after all
your flirting, after all that has passed
tonight Do you think it nothing to
break a woman's hearth" she added,
somewhat TREMENDOUSLY.
For a moment Fitz was dumbfounded;
but something IN her look and tone
reused all the manlineSs latent in him.
Admiration took the place of astonlsh-
ment, and his native good nature made
him forget the yexatious trick that had
also asserted itself. He felt that al
though his heart had always been
Mary's, his fiirtations with the widows
had been mere pastime, though to-
night, IN the excitement of the mo-.
ment, he had gone further than he ever
intended.
at is true 1 proposed to you," he
said at length, ''but you refused me-"
SLOW could l do otherwise" re-
turned Mary. ''when saw you paying
as much attention to Others as you did
to me?"
Again Fitz was silent a moment.
"You have taught me a lesson,
Mary" he cried at length, taking her
hand, 'but l am going to hold you to
your promise all the same. III you
spoke in jest | was in earnest, and |
don't withdraw a word of what | said.
l am thankful that | have not gone too
far-that / can still honorably ask you
to be my wife. My heart is yours, and
yours only, Mary; will you have me?"
Are you in earnest" asked Mary.
"In most solemn earnest" he re-
piled.
"And the widows?" whispered
Mary.
"You are worth a hundred thousand
widowsln
Mary laughed and gave him such a
charming smile that Fltz was enrap.
tured.
"And your soubriquetr" she asked.
FItz laughed good-humoredly.
''Some one will find me another,
never fear. / shall change my name
at the same time that you change
yours, Mary. People have always called
me a lucky fellow, but l really think
Lady Mabel's ball masque has brought
nae the best luck of ALL"
HE is hopelessly infatuatedr" NUT
tered Minna to her friend; ''let us leave
him in his FOOLS Paradise. She is a
second Becky Sharp"
And that was the verdict Of the
falrer half of society. But Mrs. Fitz-
gerald Brandon holds her own, never
theless, for her masculine admirers
pronounce her the ''prettiest, wittiest
and brightest woman in London"